Meaning & use
being high maintenance
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformaldisapproving
the state or habit of needing a lot of attention, care, or effort from other people.
Grammar: Used as a noun-like phrase: the subject or object of a sentence, not before a noun.
Patterns
- being high maintenance
- accuse someone of being high maintenance
Her friends joke that being high maintenance is her full-time job.
He says being high maintenance just means he knows what he wants.
Being high maintenance in a relationship can wear both people out.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
the quality of a thing that costs a lot of money or work to keep in good condition.
Grammar: Also used about cars, houses, or equipment, not only people.
Patterns
- being high maintenance
- something is high maintenance
The old sports car is fun, but being high maintenance makes it expensive.
They sold the house because being high maintenance took all their weekends.
Common combinations
- a high-maintenance person
- He is a high-maintenance person who calls three times a day.
- a high-maintenance pet
- A high-maintenance pet like a parrot needs daily attention.
- a high-maintenance car
- That high-maintenance car is always in the garage.
- be high maintenance
- Some people think she is high maintenance, but she is just shy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demanding
- Demanding describes a person or task that asks for a lot; high maintenance is more informal and often about emotional needs.
- needy
- Needy suggests wanting constant emotional support, while high maintenance can also mean expensive or time-consuming.
Opposites
Word family
- high maintenance adjective
- Needing a lot of care, attention, or money.
- maintenance noun
- The work of keeping something in good condition.
Commonly confused: being high maintenance or high-maintenance?
being high maintenance vs high-maintenance
The hyphenated form is the adjective used before a noun: a high-maintenance dog. The phrase 'being high maintenance' uses the words after the verb be.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'being high maintenance' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase works as a noun-like subject: 'being high maintenance is why…'. Option 1 adds an object it cannot take, option 2 wrongly uses it to mean 'being careless', and option 4 has the words in an impossible order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “being high maintenance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.